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Jesse Owens Museum, Oakville AL

Monday, January 14, 2008

This weekend, we drove up to Oakville, Alabama in Lawrence county to see a couple of things. The first one was the Jesse Owens Museum (Jesse was born and spent his childhood in Oakville). We didn't wind up going inside, but we saw several things in the park:

The Alabama tourism website says:

Operation Schedule: Open Tu-Sat 10:30-4; by appt. Sun.-M and holidays.

The Jesse Owens Memorial Park Museum immortalizes Owens' memory by depicting the moments that made Owens great and portraying the people who shaped him as an athlete and as a man. Glass display cases showcase rare memorabilia including programs from the 1936 Olympics, replicas of track uniforms and shoes, and medals and trophies from Owens' high school days. In addition, the museum offers visitors interactive kiosks that highlight Owens' life and accomplishments. The museum's mini-theater shows the movie "Return to Berlin" in which Owens narrates the 1936 Olympics. Visitors can follow the larger-than-life panel displays throughout the museum that depict Owens' life beginning in Oakville, Alabama to his death in 1980. The panel displays highlight Owens' athletic accomplishments as well as his humanitarian efforts. For those interested in learning more about the life of Jesse Owens, the museum offers The Decatur Daily Resource Center. Equipped with computers and printers, the center allows visitors to do their own research of this Olympic gold medalist. Park has bronze sculpture of Owens, picnic pavillions, replica of Owens' home, ball fields.

This shows the length of his Olympic record long jump - 26', 5-1/4".

A recreation of his family home:

This site is really good and lists Jesse's achievements, biography, etc.

I care for ourcat named Eugene Walter, three bantam hens who go by Tallulah, Zelda, and Nelle Harper Lee, and about a thousand red wigglers in a compost bin (each blessed with the name of an outstanding landsman).

I am a Creative Director at a magazine. I like to make things look fab.

I try to be a curator of kindness, goodness, and interesting experiences.